Beverage case



Nov. 21, 1967 BELCHER ETAL 3,353,704

' BEVERAGE I CASE Filed May 25, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS sAwuaL LBEL-CHER E ROBERT F. DEBROCK 'ORNEVS Nov. 21, 1967 S. L. BELCHER ETALBEVERAGE CASE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 25, 1965 4 INVENTORS L. BELCHR$R0BER1- F DEBRQQK SAMUEL FIG. 8

ATroRNEvs United States Patent 3,353,704 BEVERAGE CASE Samuel 'L.Belcher, Toledo, and Robert F. De Brock,

Maumee, Ohio, assignors to Owens-Illinois, Inc., a corporation of OhioFiled May 25, 1965, Ser. No. 458,611

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-21) Our invention relates to beverage cases of thetype widely, used to hold twenty-four bottles and an important object ofthe invention is the provision of a universal basic case which, throughthe substitution of simple, readily interchangeable dividers, orpartitions, may accommodate, for example, twenty-four bottles, whetherthese bottles are pre-packaged in individual six-pack or eight-packpaperboard take-home cartons, or merely laced in cells suggestive of theconventional form.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a basic beveragebottle case which can accommodate snapin type, readily removabledividers of'any of several different forms, such being designed torender the case useful in holding either four six-pack or threeeight-pack bottle cartons, or, if preferred, a divider unit, which, whensecured in the case,-provides twenty-four bottlereceiving cells.

It is also an object of our invention to provide a universal basic caseof the above character in which the bottom and walls are provided withdevices capable of holding engagement with means on the dividers toremovably secure them in place.

Furthermore, it is an object of our invention to provide a universalbeverage bottle case wherein the dividers are secured in the case bymeans of guide-fingers projecting into or through pre-formed aperturesin the case bottom or floor and secured against accidental separationfrom the case by means of headed pins cooperating with keyslots in theupper areas of the case side and/ or end walls.

Likewise it is an object of our invention to provide in a case of theabove character, means for separably securing dividers to both thebottom and side and end walls of a plastic case, or, if preferred, heatsealing selected dividers to the case walls.

Finally, it is an object of our invention to provide a lightweightplastic beverage bottle case of the above character in which separabledividers are formed with vertical ribs arranged and designed tofacilitate insertion of bottles into their cells or cartons in theircompartments and to insure proper fitting of the bottles or cartons inthe case.

Thus it is understood that with our universal beverage bottle case andwhat we identify as lock-in dividers, beverage bottlers may load thecases either with or without the dividers in place, so as to accommodateeither take-home cartons of bottles, or twenty-four bottles in a likenumber of cells.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a basic beverage bottle case embodyingdevices positioned for cooperation with pins or such holding means oninsertible dividers to releasably secure the latter in place.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a divider unit which, when assembled withthe basic case, creates twenty-four bottle accommodating cells.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the unit shown in FIG. 2,illustrating the locking devices.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the basic case with a removable dividerunit which creates compartments or cells to receive four six-pack bottlecartons or carriers.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a divider, two of which are positionedtransversely of the case to create three "Ice compartments to receivethree eight-pack bottle cartons.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view detailing the means forseparably securing the dividers to the side and/or end walls and bottomof a case.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but with the divider in finallocked-in position.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing the separableconnection between an end of a divider and the basic case.

In the illustrated embodiment of our invention the beverage case 10 isformed of a suitable plastic material and may well comprise a bottom 11,or floor, of rectangular outline with upstanding interconnected side andend walls 12 and 13 respectively. The side walls 12 (FIGS. 1 and 6) havetheir upper area 14 offset outwardly, providing an inclined longitudinalshelf 15. At the inner margin of each such shelf is a longitudinalseries of three equidistantly spaced apart lock devices, each being anupstanding fiat finger 16 having an upwardly opening key-slot 17. Thetwo end devices are spaced substantially equidistantly from each otherand from the end walls 13, so that two transverse vertical dividers 18connected to these devices and the end walls '13 of the case togethercreate three like compartments 19 or cells to accommodate threeeight-pack bottle cartons of bottles (not shown). The details of thisfeature will be described presently. The three lock devices engage partsof a divider which may be either the three crossmembers 2% (FIG. 2) oralternately, the center lockdevice may engage the single cross-divider21 (FIG. 4). The end walls 13 are each formed as two spaced-apart sheets22 connected together by webs 23. There may, if desired, be a bottom 24interconnecting the webs, such bottom 24 having drain openings 25 formedtherein for obvious reasons.

Intermediate the ends of each end wall 13, at its upper margin, is anupwardly opening key-slot 26 (FIG. 1) functioning as part of means forsecuring the ends of either the longitudinal divider element 27 (FIG. 2)or the divider element 28 (FIG. 4) to the end walls. The dividers at theends of their upper margins have connectors 29, each comprising alongitudinal neck 30 and a head 31 at the free end of said neck. Eachsuch neck is of slightly greater diameter than the width of one of thekey-slots so that the slot walls spread during assembly and whenassembled, the dividers are not going to become displaced accidentallybecause the necks 3% cannot slip out of the slots. In order to stabilizethe dividers and thus secure them in vertical positions against tilting,each has one or more pendent headed guide pins 32 which fit snugly, yetreleasably, if desired, into apertures 33 (FIG. 6) in the floor orbottom of the case. If preferred, each such aperture may be in thebottom of a small well or recess 34. These recesses 34 and apertures arearranged in a definite pattern as shown in FIG. 1, so that they cancooperate with certain of the key-slot lock devices in securing in placeany of the dividers shown in FIGS. 2, 4, or 5, thereby to create thedesired compartments or cell arrangement. It thus is evident (FIG. 1)that when the twenty-four cell divider of FIG. 2 is utilized, the threelongitudinally aligned center apertures 33 and the two aperturestransversely aligned with the center aperture receive the five dependingguide pins 32. It is also evident that with the divider 28 (FIG. 4) inplace the guide pins 32 thereon will utilize the same apertures 33 asdoes the twenty-four cell divider, except for the center aperture, whichwill not be used. When three eight-pack cartons are involved, two of thecrossdividers 18 (FIG. 5) are used and these may have plain guide pins35 entering the transverse pairs of apertures 33 nearest the end walls.

The numerous vertical ribs 36 on the dividers, with such ribs havingcurved or tapered upper ends 37, function as guides facilitatingplacement of individual bottles or take-home cartons of bottles in thecase. The also insure proper fitting of the bottles and/or cartons inthe case, it being apparent that since the overall inside di mensions ofthe case must of necessity be adequate to accommodate the twenty-fourcell divider (FIG. 2) the six and eight-pack cartons, being of lessertotal area, would fit quite loosely in their compartments if there wereno ribs 36 to act as fillers.

In FIG. 1 we have indicated the positions of certain dividers inrelation to the bottom apertures 33 necessary to produce the previouslydescribed compartments for receiving the six and eight-pack take-homecartons or carriers. The two transverse series of equally spaced-apartdash lines 40 show the locations of the dividers 18 of FIG. 5 relativeto selected pairs of the apertures 33 into which pendent guide pins onthese dividers fit. These, together with the end walls of the basiccase, create the three, eight-pack carton receiving compartments 19. Thetwo series of dot and dash lines 41 (FIG. 1) indicate the relationshipbetween the dividers 28 forming the four six-pack cart-on receivingcompartments of FIG. 4 and the cooperating bottom apertures.

In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that we have a universalbeverage bottle case which, through the simple expedient of dividersubstitution, as explained herein, will allow beverage bottlers to useour basic case to hold either four six-pack or three eight-pack takehomecartons, or, if desired, twent-four cells, comparable basically toconventional practice.

Modifications may be resorted to Within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

We claim:

1. A beverage bottle case formed of a plastic material and comprising agenerally rectangular bottom, upstanding side and end walls rising fromthe periphery of the bottom, there being upstanding fingers formedintegral with but spaced inwardly from the inner face of outwardlyoffset upper marginal portions of each side and end Wall provided withkey slots opening upwardly through the upper margin of said fingers, thebottom having a multiplicity of apertures therein arranged in apredetermined relationship to said key-slots, compartment orcell-creating dividers in the case, means separable connecting the endsof the dividers to selected key-slots, and guide pins depending from thebottom edge of the dividers and entering certain of the apertures.

2. A beverage bottle case as defined in claim 1, the last-named meansbeing isolated headed necks near the upper margin of the dividers withthe necks fitting into the key-slots and theheads positioned to hold thenecks against excessive, if any, lengthwise movement.

3. A beverage bottle case formed of a plastic material and comprising agenerally rectangular bottom, upstanding side and end walls rising fromthe periphery of said bottom, each side wall having at its upper margina longitudinal series of three equidistantly spaced apart up wardlyopening key-slots with the endmost slots spaced from each other adistance substantially the same as the distance between said slots andthe end wallsof the case, the key-slots being arranged intransverselyaligned pairs across the case, each endwall having a medially locatedupwardly opening key-slot in its. upper margin, and the bottom having arow of apertures substantially in alignment with each pair of key-slots,the side walls having upper areas offset outwardly to create alongitudinal inwardly sloping section and upstanding fingers at thejuncture of the sloping section and the major portion of the wall andspaced inwardly from the upper margin of the latter, said key-slotsbeing formed in said fingers.

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,055,531 9/1962 De Chelbor 22021 3,155,268 11/1964 Fogerty 220-21 3,261,495 7/1966 Beesley 220-21FOREIGN PATENTS 892,677 3/1962 Great Britain. 973,724 10/1964 GreatBritain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Examiner.

1. A BEVERAGE BOTTLE CASE FORMED OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL AND COMPRISING AGENERALLY RECTANGULAR BOTTOM, UPSTANDING SIDE AND END WALLS RISING FROMTHE PERIPHERY OF THE BOTTOM, THERE BEING UPSTANDING FINGERS FORMEDINTEGRAL WITH BUT SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE INNER FACE OF OUTWARDLYOFFSET UPPER MARGINAL PORTIONS OF EACH SIDE AND END WALL PROVIDED WITHKEY SLOTS OPENING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE UPPER MARGINAL OF SAID FINGERS,THE BOTTOM HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF APERTURES THEREIN ARRANGED IN APREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID KEY-SLOTS, COMPARTMENT ORCELL-CREATING DIVIDERS IN THE CASE, MEANS SEPARABLE CONNECTING THE ENDSOF THE DIVIDERS TO SELECTED KEY-SLOTS, AND GUIDE PINS DEPENDING FROM THEBOTTOM EDGE OF THE DIVIDERS AND ENTERING CERTAIN OF THE APERTURES.